


We've been waiting for you for a long time.

by gwmclintock88



Series: Across the Whedonverse [8]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, F/F, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Whedonverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-04
Updated: 2015-05-04
Packaged: 2018-03-29 01:58:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3878038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwmclintock88/pseuds/gwmclintock88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>These weren't the words Jemma would hear. Where once there were two lines, now there was only one, and Jemma hoped to find her soulmate before she lost him or her too.</p><p>For once, Jemma has some luck when some of the Scoobies come to visit and explain the world of the Slayers to SHIELD. </p><p>[Follow up to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/3712090">We will train yours</a>]</p>
            </blockquote>





	We've been waiting for you for a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this probably could have been happier, and I definitely tried to end it one a happier note. But I also wanted to try something different this time. Let me know how it goes.
> 
> This is a follow up to [We will train yours](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3712090) but you do not have to read that one if you do not want to. The only pairings I have in this one as well as May/Giles.

 Even since the Director, May, and Fitz returned from Scotland, the base buzzed with activity alike which she had never seen. Not never the time when they were searching for Coulson were they this busy. It wasn’t just fight HYDRA, AIM or any of the other acronyms any more. There were….things which they couldn’t explain through science, and it rankled her more than she wanted to admit.  Between recent findings at crime scenes of demons (demons!) and the like, and Skye’s return, Jemma found herself with an abundance of data to analyze. There were only a few spare moments in her day where she stepped away from everything, or the Director asked her to stop working.

            Currently Jemma focused her attention on the biological indicators of this particular demon, whose identity hadn’t been fully determined. She hunched over the microscope, watching the blood cells react to light. “Fitz, take a look at these cells!”

            “Fitz is at the debriefing.” Jemma spun around, her heart pounding in her chest as May appeared in the lab. Her hands missed a beaker by centimeters (and she did not squeak!) “Which is where you should be.”

            Jemma glared at the older woman, who had the audacity just to smirk at her. Ever since May returned, she’d been happier than Jemma had ever known her to be. It frightened some of the other agents, but happiness looked wonderful on May. She appeared ages younger (not that Jemma would ever admit to guessing her age) and smiled more often. Finding one’s soulmate was typically a joyous occasion, and even May deserved to experience such joys.

            That still didn’t excuse her from pulling pranks in the lab!

            “Come on. There are some people I’d like to introduce you to,” May said. She walked out of lab without a glance to see if Jemma was following. She removed her lab coat and saved her notes before scurrying after her.

            “Are we finally meeting Mister Giles?” Hearing about the Watchers and the Slayers (such a fascinating system) only sparked more questions and until she could investigate “magic” with proper procedures, she would settled for examining demons and the like.

            May offered only an enigmatic smile as they walked through the corridors.

            The base was alive with movement, and even with the excitement Jemma finally felt like everything was settling down. The cataloging of demons and monsters forced her to once again to propose changes to the listing of threats, but she still needed more data to build a proper typology.

            “Found her,” May said as they entered the Director’s office. She directed Jemma toward Coulson’s desk as she moved further into the room.

            “Splendid,” said a man in a tweed jacket. May walked to his side, getting a kiss on the cheek from him. Jemma held in her squeal, but two women she didn’t recognize had no such control. Fitz just rolled his eyes, almost mirroring Giles in his exacerbation. “Really girls, you’ve known about Melinda for some time now. Is such a reaction necessary?”

            “Of course,” said the blonde. The redhead at least blushed and Jemma found the look utterly adorable. But there was something magnetic about her, something what the way she smiled and her eyes reflected so much power and knowledge. “How else would we show our love?”

            “Being silent comes to mind,” the man said. Giles – who else would May welcome like that? – remove his glasses and began to slowly clean them with a cloth. “I believe Director Coulson was going to share with us some preliminary findings?”

            Coulson spent the next hour presenting the various findings along with directing Skye and Jemma to add to the conversation when necessary. May stayed silent as always, but she smiled a bit more. It was kind of creepy to tell the truth. She’d never really seen May smile for such long period of time, but she looked happier than Jemma thought she might have ever been. If anyone deserved a little more happiness in her life, it was definitely May. But watching her only rammed home how much Jemma relinquished to be right and how alone she really was right now.

            Jemma turned away from May as Buffy (the blonde), Fitz, and Skye began to argue over the tracking of some type of demon. It gave her the chance to take another long glance at the redhead, Willow. They caught each other’s eyes and for a moment, Jemma experienced the closest thing to sex since had had since signing up to be in the field. Not the waves she usually felt but definitely more feelings than she typically experience without manual stimulation.

            It’d been so long since anyone looked at her, really looked at her in that way. If things didn’t happen the way they did with Fitz, maybe instead of spending nights alone. But of course she let her brain and the rules get in the way. She thought and thought to the point where every decision appeared wrong. Same thing happened with Skye – she focused so much on the fact and the problems that she missed the person, and then missed the opportunity for something more. Jemma still maintained excellent friendships with both of them, but the chance for anything beyond slipped by her.

            As she tried hard not to stare at Willow, Jemma realized the questions had shifted from Buffy, Giles and Willow asking to May and Coulson grilling them. Now Giles offered some his own findings, specifically referencing the demon itself: A lorophage demon.  Completely grey and hairless with long talons and proboscis instead of a mouth and nose. Jemma filled her page with notes, but even then questions popped and demanded her attention.

            Magic seemed so….impossible. Everything could change and the rules were variable so cataloging them now would be a waste of time. Magic further complicated the assessment of variables and creation of proper models for various designed and biological species. She needed answers to the largest and smallest questions, and maybe a read through of their reference books as well. But she didn’t have access to that right now. Instead, a fountain of information sat in front of her win the form of Giles, Buffy, and Willow. All three had different perspectives, evident in the differences in presentation of information, but Willow’s matched her methodology closely. She wanted to blurt out her questions, demand answers in her childhood manner, but that would be wrong. It took all the etiquette training her mother paid for to not interrupt any of them as they spoke.

            “Better let Simmons say something.”

            “Skye!” Jemma sharply whispered at her. She did not need help. She certainly could wait her turn. Fitz was concentrating on some equations on his pad, and only paid them nominal attention. Undoubtedly, he’d have some of the same questions she did, but now everyone had to pay attention to her.

            “You look like you’re going to explode,” the younger girl said, getting a laugh out of Buffy.  Her cheeks felt hot as she glanced down at the table.

            “It’s okay.” Willow’s voice drew her gaze up from the interesting dirt formation on the table. “I don’t bite.” Her eyes twinkled as she spoke, her smile growing a little more daring and wider. “Well…not unless you ask.”

            Skye started to laugh, shaking the table with her movements (not her powers, thank God!), as did Buffy, despite trying to hide her laughter as she scolded Willow, but Jemma barely heard any of it. The sound died off, drowned out by the silence encompassing her as she stared at Willow. Thousands of thoughts rushed through her, more than she had when thinking about the possibilities of magic. This could be it. Her moment, not everyone got one and certainly seemed like out of them only May had a mark, but Jemma may be having hers right now. She took a deep breath and grabbed onto one thought as she hurled them around: “How do you maintain the conversation of energy when ‘casting,’ for lack of a better word?” She paused after the works tumbled out, this time getting Willow to stare at her. Of course, now that she started talking, she didn’t stop. “And the biting? Yes please?”

            Jemma didn’t know how that question escaped, but it only served to get Skye and Buffy to collapse in laughter. Even Coulson had a smirk on her face, though Giles look positively horrified. Fitz finally looked up from his work, staring at all of them as if they were mad. Buffy’s laughter died quickly as she started to look between the two women. Jemma however, remained focused on the redhead staring at her with tears in her eyes.

            Before she could ask another question, Buffy spoke up. “Giles, can we…?” She motioned toward the door, but before she could finish, Coulson jumped in.

            “May, Skye, how about we show our guests the facility?” Coulson stood from his desk and moved around to collect the others. Skye finally settled down, or at least enough to catch the somber mood in the room.  May pulled Giles out as Coulson guided Skye and Fitz away. Her friend glanced back, a sorry on her lips as they disappeared into the hallway. Buffy moved away from Willow’s side and came over to Jemma.

            “Be careful,” she whispered before giving her a quick hug, “welcome to the Scoobies.” She pulled back with a sad smile on her face before following the others out of the room.

            They sat across from each other, trying to find something to say. Jemma wanted an explanation, but this was one instance where she wouldn’t demand a response. Not with her soulmark. She stood from her chair and moved to the one next to Willow. Taking a chance, she reached out and cupped Willow’s hand with two of hers.

            “It was…we were supposed to be three,” Willow managed to get out. Silent tears fell down her cheek as she spoke. Jemma brushed them away, now cupping Willow’s cheek with her right hand.

            “I know,” she said. She thought of the set of scars on her waist. Two distinct lines of writing replaced by one; it was a little over four years ago when it happened. She woke up to the burning sensation and felt something inside of her break in two, or maybe three. She managed to convince Fitz not to rush her to the hospital, but only just.

            “I know,” she repeated. Willow leaned into her touch, and the sight only made Jemma ache to hold her.

            Once again, she ignored the rules being shouted at her by her brain. She stood and took Willow with her, drawing her into a tight hug once the redhead was vertical. Willow clung to her, openly sobbing at the loss of their third. Jemma had long mourned the loss, but it seemed the wound never closed for Willow. They must have known each other before all of this happened.  Jemma just held on, letting Willows agony rage on.

            Around her, she felt the energy growing and dying with each sob and pain that ripped through Willow.  Petrichor and sunlight wrapped themselves around her in amazing perfume, grounding Jemma in memories of the countryside with her cousins. Willow aped her deep breaths, and eventually, she calmed down enough.

            “What…” Willow started to say something but the words died on her lips. Not that Jemma didn’t already know the question, but the worry painted on the redhead’s face was evident.  

            “What did they say?” Jemma whispered. Willow ducked back to hide her head in Jemma’s shoulder. The tears stopped for both of them, but they stayed attached. Jemma released her grip on Willow to remove one of the arms around her neck. She guided Willow’s hand, pushing up her shirt to let Willow’s fingers touch the scars left behind in their loss. The words faded with time, but she still recalled them: “‘we’ve been waiting for you for a long time.’”

            Willow laughed, her fingers brushing along the scars. A warmth spread from the touch and Jemma focused on the conversation, not the growing sensations inside of her. “She..sh would have loved you.”

            “She?” Well, that certainly answered one question. “What was her name?”

            “Tara,” Willow said with wistfulness and sorrow in her voice. Jemma pulled away, not enough to let Willow go, but just enough to brush some of the strands of red out of her face. The witch gave her a smile in return. “She…she was killed and I..I kind of went all big bad.”

            “Big bad?” Jemma never heard the phrase before, but an estimate of the etymology meant nothing positive.

            “I went totally evil,” Willow admitted. “Black hair and everything.” Her smile offered an apology but Jemma understood the pain.

            “You probably were hot, not the whole evil thing, but definitely the black hair,” Jemma said. She bit her lip, and realized how that sounded. “Not that you aren’t now. I’m just saying I could see you like that. Not evil I mean, but definitely with black hair. I’m not saying the red isn’t working for me either. I’m just saying….I’m going to shut up now.”

            “No, I get it,” Willow said, laughing at the rambling compliment. Jemma felt her face grow hot again, but at least this time, she didn’t feel too bad. Willow gave her a quick peck on the lips and stepped back. “Do you want to know more about magic? Or maybe about me?”

            “I think…”Jemma paused and glanced back at her notes. “I think there is enough time to figure out what you’re calling magic. I want to get to know you.”

            Willow’s smile grew wider at that decision and leaned into kiss her again. This time it was longer and heavier, and if they didn’t break apart soon, Coulson would find them making out in one of the chairs or on the table. Or worse. She let those thoughts go for the moment though. She had more questions, and undoubtedly Fitz had some too, but this was important. She already messed up twice before and even without her third, she still had her soulmark. Rules were nice, knowledge was good, but love…love was definitely better.

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing except the plot.
> 
> Pairing was on the recommendation of rebakathy. 
> 
> Up next? I don't know. I've got a few that I want to work on, but I think I'm leaning toward double set - two soulmarks for the price of one! Also, I may hit some of the other pairings in a smaller form (like drabbles) if only because I am having difficulty hitting the one-shot with them. I always try to do the characters justice, so let me know if there is a glaring problem or something like that. 
> 
> If you have a pairing you'd like read, please let me know. Anyone from anything by Whedon is fair game, so let me know.
> 
> Good night and good luck.


End file.
